Additional Advocate General (AAG) Ponnavolu Sudhakar Reddy on Wednesday stated to the High Court that the Waltair Club lands in Visakhapatnam were government lands, in a petition filed regarding the notices served to the Club by the Special Investigation Team (SIT). After hearing the arguments, the Andhra Pradesh High Court issued interim orders staying the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigation into the Waltair Club land issue in Visakhapatnam.

Waltair Club President Phanindra Babu filed a petition in the High Court challenging the notices issued by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the Waltair Club land affair on May 27. The lawsuit, filed in the form of a lunch motion, came up for hearing on Wednesday. AAG Sudhakar Reddy, appearing for the government, told the high court that the club had leased the land and did not vacate it even after the lease expired. It is against this backdrop that the SIT had launched an investigation into the land issue.

It is reported that the Waltair Club claimed to have taken a rough degree based on a rough rental degree. The rough settlement was struck down by the Survey Settlement Commissioner. The club had to file a petition under the Estate Abolition Act but did not do so. On top of that the club had also illegally received compensation from the government for land that did not belong to it. Measures have been initiated under the Revenue Recovery Act to recover the amount of compensation. The representatives of the club were also asked to explain why they had appeared before the SIT when they were told the SIT time limit had expired. He also said that the club legal team had kept the matter under wraps.

Justice S Jayasurya said the court preliminarily came to the conclusion that the tenure of the SIT has elapsed and would give its orders based on the petitioner's request. The Additional AG, however, sought time till Monday to place before the court all the details. The Judge issued an interim stay on the SIT probe into the Waltair Club land issue and posted the matter for further hearing to Thursday.